Health - Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Neurodevelopmental disorders are conditions that affect how your brain functions. Examples of neurodevelopmental disorders in children include attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities, autism, intellectual disability, conduct disorders, cerebral palsy, and impairments in vision and hearing.
On this page:
- Indicators
- About the Neurodevelopmental Disorders Indicators
- Data Sources and Methods - Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Related Links
Indicators
H6: Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Web update: 2023
Key Information
- In 2021, the proportion of children reported to have ever been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was almost 11%, an increase from about 6% in 1997.
- In 2018–2021, 14% of children ages 5 to 17 years from families living below the poverty level were reported to have ADHD compared with 10.3% of children from families living at or above the poverty level.
- For 2018–2021, 14.1% of boys ages 5 to 17 years were reported to have ADHD, which is higher than the rate for girls of 7.5%.
Data Characterization
Data for this indicator are obtained from an ongoing annual survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics.
Survey data are representative of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population.
A parent or other knowledgeable adult in each sampled household is asked questions regarding the child's health status, including if they have ever been told the child has Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
H7: Children with a learning disability
Web update: 2023
Key Information
- In 2021, almost 8% of children ages 5 to 17 years had ever been diagnosed with a learning disability. There has been little change in this percentage since 1997.
- For 2018–2021, the percentage of children reported to have a learning disability was higher for children living below the poverty level, 12.6%, compared with those living at or above the poverty level, 7.2%.
- For 2018–2021, the percentage of boys reported to have a learning disability was 10.1%, which was higher than for girls at 6.1%.
Data Characterization
Data for this indicator are obtained from an ongoing annual survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics.
Survey data are representative of the U.S. civilian non-institutionalized population.
A parent or other knowledgeable adult in each sampled household is asked questions regarding the child's health status, including if they have ever been told the child has a learning disability.
H8: Children with autism
Web update: 2023
Key Information
- In 2021, 3.1% of child were reported to have autism. Between 2014 and 2020, reported autism rates ranged from 2.3% to 3.7%. The increase compared to earlier years (when rates were below 1.5%) may be partly explained by a recent broadening of the autism definition used in the survey.
- For 2018–2021, 4.2% of children living below the poverty level were reported to have autism, as compared to 2.8% of children living at or above the poverty level were reported to have autism.
- For 2018–2021, the rate of reported autism was about three times higher in boys than in girls, 4.6% and 1.5%, respectively.
Data Characterization
Data for this indicator are obtained from an ongoing annual survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics.
Survey data are representative of the U.S. civilian non-institutionalized population.
A parent or other knowledgeable adult in each sampled household is asked questions regarding the child's health status, including if they have ever been told the child has autism. From 2011 to 2013, the term “autism” in the question was revised to “autism/autism spectrum disorder.” Starting in 2014, for consistency with an expanded definition in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the term “autism” in the question was revised to “autism, Asperger's disorder, pervasive developmental disorder, or autism spectrum disorder.”
H9: Children with intellectual disability
Web update: 2023
Key Information
- In 2021, almost 2% of children ages 5 to 17 years were reported to have intellectual disability. The higher reported percentages in 2011 and later compared with 2010 and earlier might be in part due to a revision of the survey question wording.
- In 2018–2021, 2.5% of children from families with incomes below the poverty level were reported to have intellectual disability, compared with 1.7% of children from families at or above the poverty level.
- In 2018–2021, the percentage of boys reported to have intellectual disability was 2.3%, which was higher than girls at 1.3%.
Data Characterization
Data for this indicator are obtained from an ongoing annual survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics.
Survey data are representative of the U.S. civilian non-institutionalized population.
A parent or other knowledgeable adult in each sampled household is asked questions regarding the child's health status, including if they have ever been told the child has an intellectual disability.
About the Neurodevelopmental Disorders Indicators
Indicators H6, H7, H8, and H9 present information about children reported to have ever been diagnosed with four different neurodevelopmental disorders: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities, autism, and intellectual disability. The data are from a national survey that collects health information from a representative sample of the population each year.
Neurodevelopmental disorders are conditions that affect how your brain functions. Examples of neurodevelopmental disorders in children include attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disability, autism, intellectual disability, conduct disorders, cerebral palsy, and impairments in vision and hearing.
Children with neurodevelopmental disorders can experience difficulties with language and speech, motor skills, behavior, memory, learning, or other neurological functions. Children may have more than one diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorder. The term “learning disability” refers to a neurological disorder that affects the way a child’s brain can receive, process, retain, and respond to information. The term “intellectual disability” refers to a disorder involving subaverage intellectual functioning before the age of 18, usually defined as an IQ less than 70 and impairments in life skills such as communication, self-care, home living, and social or interpersonal skills.
Most neurodevelopmental disorders have complex and multiple contributors rather than any one clear cause. These disorders likely result from a combination of genetic, biological, psychosocial and environmental risk factors. According to multiple studies, certain heavy metals are associated with adverse effects on a child's developing brain and nervous system. The National Toxicology Program concluded that childhood lead exposure is associated with attention-related behavioral problems (such as inattention, hyperactivity, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) and increased incidence of problem behaviors (including delinquent, criminal, or antisocial behavior). EPA has determined that methylmercury is known to have neurotoxic and developmental effects in humans. The scientific literature has identified several other environmental chemicals as potential concerns for childhood neurological development, such as PCBs, pesticides, and flame retardants.
For historic and contextual information about neurodevelopmental disorders and these indicators, see the Neurodevelopmental Disorders section of America's Children and the Environment, Third Edition (pdf) .
Data Sources and Methods - Neurodevelopmental Disorders
The National Center for Health Statistics, a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, conducts the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), a series of annual U.S. national surveys of the health status of the non-institutionalized civilian population. The interviews are conducted in person at the participants’ homes by asking a parent or other knowledgeable household adult questions regarding the child’s health status.
- Detailed Methods for Indicators H6, H7, H8, and H9 (pdf)
- Metadata for National Health Interview Survey (NHIS)
Related Links
- U.S. EPA: Lead
- U.S. EPA: Mercury
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Increasing Prevalence of Parent-Reported Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Among Children - United States 2003 and 2007
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders - Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 14 Sites, United States, 2008
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): Autism Spectrum Disorders (Pervasive Developmental Disorders)
- National Toxicology Program (NTP): Health Effects of Low-Level Lead Evaluation